TEE screening allowed identification of ACP in one-fourth of patients submitted to protective ventilation for early moderate to severe ARDS. PFO shunting was less frequent and never large or extensive. ACP and PFO were not related to outcome.

Our data suggest that in a selected population of patients with severe septic shock single plasma cortisol determination has no predictive value. The short ACTH stimulation test performed within the first 24 h of onset shock can neither predict outcome nor estimate impairment in adrenocortical function in patients with high basal cortisol level. Adrenal insufficiency is rare in septic shock and should be suspected when cortisol level is below 15 micrograms/dl and then confirmed by a peak cortisol level lower than 18 micrograms/dl during the short ACTH stimulation test.

Delayed ICU admission due to a full unit at first referral is associated with increased mortality.

Diagnosis of acute adrenocortical insufficiency must be considered if clinical manifestations are present suggesting septic shock without any obvious infectious cause in patients having undergone considerable intravenous fluid therapy as an initial course of treatment.

BackgroundThe potential influence of bed availability on triage to intensive care unit (ICU) admission is among the factors that may influence the ideal ratio of ICU beds to population: thus, high bed availability (HBA) may result in the admission of patients too well or too sick to benefit, whereas bed scarcity may result in refusal of patients likely to benefit from ICU admission.MethodsCharacteristics and outcomes of patient admitted in four ICUs with usual HBA, defined by admission refusal rate less than 11 % because of bed unavailability, were compared to patients admitted in six ICUs with usual low bed availability (LBA), i.e., an admission refusal rate higher than 10 % during a 90-day period.ResultsOver the 90 days, the mean number of days with no bed available was 30 ± 16 in HBA units versus 48 ± 21 in LBA units (p < 0.01). The proportion of admitted patients was significantly higher in the HBA (80.1 %; n = 659/823) than in the LBA units [61.6 %: n = 480/779; (p < 0.0001)]. The proportion of patients deemed too sick to benefit from admission was higher in LBA (9.0 %; n = 70) than in the HBA (6.3 %; n = 52) units (p < 0.05). The HBA group had a significantly greater proportion of patients younger than 40 years of age (22.5 %; n = 148 versus 14 %; n = 67 in LBA group; p < 0.001) and higher proportions of patients with either high or low simplified acute physiologic score II values.ConclusionsBed availability affected triage decisions. Units with HBA trend to admit patients too sick or too well to benefit.

Hyperbaric Oxygen (HBO) therapy is advocated for the treatment of severe trauma of the limbs in association with surgery because of its effects on peripheral oxygen transport, muscular ischemic necrosis, compartment syndrome, and infection prevention. However, no controlled human trial had been performed until now to specify the role of HBO in the management of crush injuries. Thirty-six patients with crush injuries were assigned in a blinded randomized fashion, within 24 hours after surgery, to treatment with HBO (session of 100% O2 at 2.5 atmosphere absolute (ata) for 90 minutes, twice daily, over 6 days) or placebo (session of 21% O2 at 1.1 ata for 90 minutes, twice daily, over 6 days). All the patients received the same standard therapies (anticoagulant, antibiotics, wound dressings). Transcutaneous oxygen pressure (PtCO2) measurements were done before (patient breathing normal air) and during treatment (HBO or placebo) at the first, fourth, eighth, and twelfth sessions. The two groups (HBO group, n = 18; placebo group, n = 18) were similar in terms of age; risk factors; number, type or location of vascular injuries, neurologic injuries, or fractures; and type, location, or timing of surgical procedures. Complete healing was obtained for 17 patients in the HBO group vs. 10 patients in the placebo group (p < 0.01). New surgical procedures (such as skin flaps and grafts, vascular surgery, or even amputation) were performed on one patient in the HBO group vs. six patients in the placebo group (p < 0.05). Analysis of groups of patients matched for age and severity of injury showed that in the subgroup of patients older than 40 with grade III soft-tissue injury, wound healing was obtained for seven patients (87.5%) in the HBO group vs. three patients (30%) in the placebo group (p < 0.05). No significant differences were found in the length of hospital stay and number of wound dressings between groups. For the patients with complete healing, the PtCO2 values of the traumatized limb, measured in normal air, rose significantly between the first and the twelfth sessions (p < 0.001). No significant change in PtCO2 value was found for the patients whose healing failed. The Bilateral Perfusion Index (BPI = PtCO2 of the injured limb/PtCO2 of the uninjured limb) at the first session increased significantly from 1 ata air to 2.5 ata O2 (p < 0.05). In patients with complete healing, the BPI was constantly greater than 0.9 to 2.5 ata O2 during the following sessions, whereas the BPI in air progressively rose between the first and the twelfth sessions (p < 0.05), reaching normal values at the end of the treatment. In conclusion, this study shows the effectiveness of HBO in improving wound healing and reducing repetitive surgery. We believe that HBO is a useful adjunct in the management of severe (grade III) crush injuries of the limbs in patients more than 40 years old.

IntroductionAcute cor pulmonale (ACP) and patent foramen ovale (PFO) remain common in patients under protective ventilation for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We sought to describe the hemodynamic profile associated with either ACP or PFO, or both, during the early course of moderate-to-severe ARDS using echocardiography.MethodsIn this 32-month prospective multicenter study, 195 patients with moderate-to-severe ARDS were assessed using echocardiography during the first 48 h of admission (age: 56 (SD: 15) years; Simplified Acute Physiology Score: 46 (17); PaO2/FiO2: 115 (39); VT: 6.5 (1.7) mL/kg; PEEP: 11 (3) cmH2O; driving pressure: 15 (5) cmH2O). ACP was defined by the association of right ventricular (RV) dilatation and systolic paradoxical ventricular septal motion. PFO was detected during a contrast study using agitated saline in the transesophageal bicaval view.ResultsACP was present in 36 patients, PFO in 21 patients, both PFO and ACP in 8 patients and the 130 remaining patients had neither PFO nor ACP. Patients with ACP exhibited a restricted left ventricle (LV) secondary to RV dilatation and had concomitant RV dysfunction, irrespective of associated PFO, but preserved LV systolic function. Despite elevated systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP), patients with isolated PFO had a normal RV systolic function. sPAP and PaCO2 levels were significantly correlated.ConclusionsIn patients under protective mechanical ventilation with moderate-to-severe ARDS, ACP was associated with LV restriction and RV failure, whether PFO was present or not. Despite elevated sPAP, PFO shunting was associated with preserved RV systolic function.

BackgroundMeta-analyses of nonrandomized studies have provided conflicting data on therapeutic hypothermia, or targeted temperature management (TTM), at 33°C in patients successfully resuscitated after nonshockable cardiac arrest. Nevertheless, the latest recommendations issued by the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation and by the European Resuscitation Council recommend therapeutic hypothermia. New data are available on the adverse effects of therapeutic hypothermia, notably infectious complications. The risk/benefit ratio of therapeutic hypothermia after nonshockable cardiac arrest is unclear.MethodsHYPERION is a multicenter (22 French ICUs) trial with blinded outcome assessment in which 584 patients with successfully resuscitated nonshockable cardiac arrest are allocated at random to either TTM between 32.5 and 33.5°C (therapeutic hypothermia) or TTM between 36.5 and 37.5°C (therapeutic normothermia) for 24 hours. Both groups are managed with therapeutic normothermia for the next 24 hours. TTM is achieved using locally available equipment. The primary outcome is day-90 neurological status assessed by the Cerebral Performance Categories (CPC) Scale with dichotomization of the results (1 + 2 versus 3 + 4 + 5). The primary outcome is assessed by a blinded psychologist during a semi-structured telephone interview of the patient or next of kin. Secondary outcomes are day-90 mortality, hospital mortality, severe adverse events, infections, and neurocognitive performance. The planned sample size of 584 patients will enable us to detect a 9% absolute difference in day-90 neurological status with 80% power, assuming a 14% event rate in the control group and a two-sided Type 1 error rate of 4.9%. Two interim analyses will be performed, after inclusion of 200 and 400 patients, respectively.DiscussionThe HYPERION trial is a multicenter, randomized, controlled, assessor-blinded, superiority trial that may provide an answer to an issue of everyday relevance, namely, whether TTM is beneficial in comatose patients resuscitated after nonshockable cardiac arrest. Furthermore, it will provide new data on the tolerance and adverse events (especially infectious complications) of TTM at 32.5-33.5°C.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01994772.